Improvement in ditching-machines



ROBERT OOMMINGS,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF LIMA, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN DlTQHlNG-MACHINES.`

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4,113, dated July 14,1845.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT CoMMiNGs, of Lima, in the county of La Grange and State ol' Indiana, have invented ay new and useful Improvement in Ditching-Machines for Ditch ing in Marshes and Wet Grounds, (and for all other grounds where such a machine can be used,) commonly called the Perfect Ditcher, for which Letters Patent were issued to Horace Cleveland, of the State of Indiana, and also in the ditching-machine for which like letters were issued to Cromwell R. Bartlett, of the State of Illinois, and also in the improved ditcher for which like letters were issued t James Herbert, of said State of Indiana; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top View ofthis machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a cross-section at the line mof Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-section at the line o 0 of Fig. l.

It consists of a bed-piece, a, made horizontalon the bottom and scarfed on top at the front at an angle of about ten or fifteen degrees, in the manner of a wedge, the front being brought to a featheredge and slanting back from the right corner at au angle of about i'orty-ve'degrees with the line of draft, and sloped on the sides at an angle corresponding with the slope of theditch to be cut, and square on the back. Four posts, b, two on each side, for supporting the frame upon the aforesaid bed, are inortised and tenoned into it at the sides at the same angle as the slope of the sides of the bed, the outer sides being coincident therewith, the upper ends being tenoned into the under sides of the sides of the frame.

The frame O is made in the usual manner. A rhomboidal-shaped share or cutter, for cutting the bottom of the ditch, is fastened on the under side of the front partof the bed a. by bolts or other suitable fastenings. Two inclined metallic cutters, d d, for cutting the sides of the ditch, are fastened to the inner sides of the frame in Iront of the rhomboidal share, the one on the right extending down to the forward front corner of the aforesaid rhomboidal share, and the one on the left extending down and back to the left front corner of the share. The

cutters are then turned upward toward the under sides of the frame, to which they are made fast by having their uppercnds madelike aclasp to em brace thrcesides ot' the beams of the frame to which they are properly fitted. The upright portion of the knives and clasps is pierced with a number of apertures for the insertion of bolts that lie upon the top of the frame, between which and the frame keys or wedges m are inserted for tightening the clasp and for adjusting the position of the cutters to correspond with the required slope of the ditch, or for any other purpose. The inclined sides ot' the cutters are fastened to the frame at their upper ends by bolts or screws, or by any suitable means. The before-described cutters are designed for cutting the sides of the ditch. The mold-board for forming part of the embankment and laying the sward thereon, with the grass side toward the ditch, is made inthe following manner:

A spiral inclined bottom, t', extends from the sloped part of the bed up and over the left rear corner of the frame, to which it is fastened in any convenient manner, the front end of said bottom being made thin and slightly rounded, and the rear end slightly concave. A spiral side or wing, j, corresponding in size and shape with the right edge of the aforesaid bottom i, is fastened thereto at an angle of about one hundred and thirty degrees therewith, the angie of inclination gradually decreasing from the front toward the rear end. A spiral moldboard, I, for gradually raising and laying the side of the furrow-slice is fastened to the edge of the said spiral bottom i, and at the rear is extended downward in a spiral curved lineinclining toward the frame beyond the concave end of the bottom, for the purpose of supporting and confining the furrowslice to the position in which it is dropped. Another spiral mold-board, H, of greater breadth and less length than the mold-board I, is placed nearly parallel with the latter, and inclining also to the right, being fastened against the upper edge of the before-described wing j in any convenient manner, having braces, such as that represented at G, for bracing it to the frame. This moldboard is rounded off at the forward end, where it is united to the wing and frame. Its rear end extends beyond the rear end of the Wing and as far as the rear extremity of the opposite parallel spiral mold-board. These two peculiarly shaped and arranged moldboards' are designed,in combination with each other and with the aforesaid bottom and wing,

to catch the furrow-slice as it rises from the ditch, and so to press upon it as to assist in depositing the same behind the machine on its left edge or side, and with the grass side facing the ditch. The right-hand mold-hoard I, in connection with the left-hand mold-board H, assists to hold the furrow-slice to its place until deposited on its left side, as aforesaid.

The posts O, levers P, and swardsQ, ro1lerframe 1", for elevating or depressing the rollers S, for governing the running of the machine and the depth of cutting, may be arranged in the usual or most approved way. After the ditch haslbeen formed and the furrow-slice laid with its grass side on the same line of inclination, and coincident with the side ot' the ditch, a similar operation is' performed over and against theopposite side of thefurroW-slice thus placed with a machine constructed like the 011e `just described, except that it will turn the furrowslice in. a contrary direction, thus forming a felice or ridge corresponding in height to the depth of the ditches, one on each side thereof', acconiplishingthe doubc object of fencing and draining the land.

What I claim as my invention and improvenient, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

EDWARD BnoWN, J oHN D, FILKiNs. 

